From pop to indie rock to R&B, the music landscape is dizzyingly vast. So it should come as no surprise that the Zimbio team's taste in tunes is similarly varied. Something we agreed on: Future Islands' soaring synth pop album Singles. Something we disagreed on: Taylor Swift, pop star extraordinaire. Read on to discover the music we loved (and loathed) in 2014.

Lani Conway (Associate Editor)FAVORITE ALBUM Future Islands' Singles SONG YOU COULDN'T STOP LISTENING TO Lana Del Rey's "West Coast" and Metronomy's "Love Letters" SONG YOU COULDN'T TURN OFF FAST ENOUGH Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass". Sorry, I'm not drinking that Kool Aid. MOST WTF TV MUSICAL MOMENT OF 2014 Robin Thicke trying to woo Paula Patton back at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. Seriously, bro, move on. MOST OVERRATED ALBUM U2's "Songs of Innocence." BAND YOU HOPE BLOWS UP IN 2015 Lolawolf. They're weirdly cool.

Joey Skladany (TV Editor)FAVORITE ALBUM Ed Sheeran's X SONG YOU COULDN'T STOP LISTENING TO"Partition" by Beyonce. If the Queen had released her self-titled album this year, it would definitely be my answer to the question above. I don't dislike one song. SONG YOU COULDN'T TURN OFF FAST ENOUGH#Selfie. I can't believe radio DJs actually played it. Shame on you! MOST WTF TV MUSICAL MOMENT OF 2014Aside from "singers" trying to sing during award shows, I'd have to say Nicki Minaj's dress malfunction. MOST OVERRATED ALBUMMariah Carey's Me. I am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse. I am obsessed with Mariah, but a big LOL to those who said this was her comeback album. BAND YOU HOPE BLOWS UP IN 2015Phillip Phillips. Okay, so he may have won American Idol, but he needs to be known beyond his awesome single "Home." His album Behind the Light is awesome!

Joe Robberson (Associate Editor)FAVORITE ALBUM Singles by Future Islands SONG YOU COULDN'T STOP LISTENING TO"The Ballad of Mr. Steak" by Kishi Bashi SONG YOU COULDN'T TURN OFF FAST ENOUGH"Happy" MOST OVERRATED ALBUMFoo Fighters Sonic Highways BAND YOU HOPE BLOWS UP IN 2015Strand of Oaks

I listen to indie and rap, and this year I loved Spoon, Interpol, War on Drugs, JJ Doom, Lykke Li, Sage Francis, The Drums, Beck, Kishi Bashi, but nothing could eject Future Islands from my CD player. Yes I like CDs still.

JJ Duncan (Senior Editor)FAVORITE ALBUM Swans, To Be Kind" SONG YOU COULDN'T STOP LISTENING TO212 by Azealia Banks SONG YOU COULDN'T TURN OFF FAST ENOUGHShake It Off by Taylor Swift MOST WTF TV MUSICAL MOMENT OF 2014Bette Midler singing The Wind Beneath My Wings at the Oscars BAND YOU HOPE BLOWS UP IN 2015King Tuff

Popular music feels more dominated than ever by a handful of singers, but if you scratch the surface theres a lot of great stuff to be found. As someone who prefers Taylor Swifts singer-songwriter stuff, I was turned off by her new over-the-top pop sensibility. (Im obviously not the target audience.) But I loved the Swans second album since reforming, which constitutes roughly two hours of some very dark soundscapes. Guitar rockers King Tuff were also great this year, as was Frankie Cosmos.

Deena Bustillo (News Editor)FAVORITE ALBUM1989. It took a couple listens to convince me, but now I'm hooked. Radio hit "Shake It Off" is my least favorite song on the album, though. More "Clean," please. SONG YOU COULDN'T STOP LISTENING TOEd Sheeran's cover of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me." It's crazy that the song could get any better, but Sheeran's acoustic version is like the best/saddest lullaby. SONG YOU COULDN'T TURN OFF FAST ENOUGH"All About That Bass." While I fully support the message, I just can't stand the song and I'm usually a sucker for catchy pop. This is maybe just TOO catchy. MOST WTF TV MUSICAL MOMENT OF 2014 Kacey Musgraves' hair at the CMA Awards. You know it's bad when people try to guess what's hiding in your hair. MOST OVERRATED ALBUMAriana Grande's My Everything. She has a killer voice and I can dance along to some of her songs, but the album did nothing for me. I can't get over the feeling that she's just trying too hard. BAND YOU HOPE BLOWS UP IN 2015Harriet. Any band who can make a song called "I Slept With All Your Mothers" something you actually want to listen to deserves more recognition. They've been around a while, so hopefully 2015 is their year.

Hayley Igarashi (Associate Editor)FAVORITE ALBUM First Aid Kits Stay Gold SONG YOU COULDN'T STOP LISTENING TOHoziers Take Me to Church SONG YOU COULDN'T TURN OFF FAST ENOUGH"Bang Bang" MOST WTF TV MUSICAL MOMENT OF 2014Peter Pan Live! BAND YOU HOPE BLOWS UP IN 2015Squalloscope

Lately Ive swapped out music for podcasts on my daily commute (and almost everywhere else), so I feel like I have the least to say here. That being said, Welcome to Nightvale, an awesome podcast, features weird, quirky music in their weather section that I often fall in love with immediately.

Read more from the original source:

Editor's Picks: The Best of 2014 in Music